Here we are again, talking about another hyped up product by Colourpop. I am happy to say that I am actually OVER THE MOON pleased at this product. If you didn’t know, Colourpop is a cruelty free brand that originated in LA. A lot of their products are also vegan, in exception of a few.

Here is the 411on the Lippie Stixs:

Colour Pay Off & Lasting Power

AMAZING! Super pigmented lip products that stick to the lips and last for a very long time. I can eat, drink and sleep in these things and they are still hanging on there for dear life by the end of it all. Although the Lippie Stix do transfer, they don’t slide of the lips, therefore I am not scared that I’m going to end up smearing them all over my mouth.

Moisture Level

I am the first to admit that these products are not the most moisturising on the market. They can dry out your lips. To combat this I always apply a non greasy lip balmfirst and then the Lippie Stix on top. If you do have naturally dry lips I would recommend exfoliating your lips with a lip scrub, moisturising with a lip balm and then applying your Lippie.

Colours and Swatches

FancyLumiereGossipHeart OnFrenchieGrind

*All colours are switched with the matching Lippie Pencil

Would I Repurchase?

YES YES YES! They also seem to have finally introduced a set price for shipping Australia… YIPPEE! $25.

This mascara is hyped up A LOT in the Youtube world. It is something that I wanted to try since its release. I have been using the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascarasince December 2015, so I have a deep understanding on the pro’s and con’s of the product. I use the original mascara that is not waterproof. I have outlined my experience with the product below.

Pros –

★ Volume – Creates a very voluminous effect of the lashes. Extremely thick and black, just how I like them.

★ Length – The product creates a large amount of length. You almost get that ‘spidery’ affect but it is extremely wearable.

★ Colour – Extremely black and very pigmented.

★ Lasting power – The lashes stayed curled, lengthened and full of volume for a long period of time.

Cons –

★ Flaky – The product flakes on me pretty dramatically. This happens after a short time of wear.

★ Smudges – I use the original mascara which is not waterproof. It smudges quite a lot. If you have watery eyes, you may have a problem.

Would I repurchase the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara?

It produces beautiful fluttery long lashes. It does everything I want it to do, minus the flaking. So yes, I would repurchase it.

Shaving your face, another phenomenon taking over the YouTube space. Let me start by saying, as someone who suffers from excessive hair on my face, I can’t help but shake my headat this trend.

I have now had laser removal that has been very successful, thank god, but prior to that I had to shave the hair to ensure for successful treatment. When I use the word shave, I don’t mean I got out shaving cream and a razor and went to town. There are specific ‘face shaving’ tools that you can use.

Here are my thoughts on shaving facial hair:

It 100% grew back thicker and darker. I can’t comment on peach fuzz as my hair was dark, however it was thinner before I shaved in comparison to after. It grew back really thick, and caused ingrown hair due to the hair follicles being thicker and trying to make their way through my pores.

It was IRRITATING. My skin did not feel good during the process or afterwards.

It was a negative experience overall and I would not recommend anyone doing it.

What would I recommend instead?

If your hair/skin type qualifies for laser hair removal, DO IT! It is the best thing I have done in regards to hair removal. The process may be painful (depending on individual pain tolerances) however, the finished product is very satisfying. The money you pay to get the hair removed via laser is worth every dollar. Having my facial hair removed had the following positive outcomes:

Increased self- esteem: I no longer felt like people were staring at my facial hair. I do have to say that it wasn’t even that big of a deal, not a lot of people noticed it, however, I did and it made me feel uncomfortable.

Morning routine time slashed as I no longer needed to decide whether I needed to wax or shave (pre laser).

Overall, it was a great experience, not only removing facial hair, but also body hair.

If you do consider laser hair removal, please do your research and go to a reputable and registered clinic that have their qualifications. I go to eden laser clinics, as recommended by my dermatologist.

I am not 100% sure whether I am being hypocritical in recommending laser hair removal as it was most probably tested on animals prior to being available to humans. I do have to say I made the decision to get laser prior to deciding to convert to cruelty free. I now am looking into whether it is still being tested on animals and will update this space when I have enough evidence.

Of course, if you want to shave your face, go ahead…. however, please remember that there are other options out there. If you just have peach fuzz, I personally wouldn’t risk it purely due to the fact that you are giving it an opportunity to grow back thicker. If you have shaved your peach fuzz and have had a positive long term experience, let me know in the comments below.

The Australian Government has made plans to ban cosmetic testing on animals, only if the coalition are re-elected. If the coalition are not re-elected the chances of this happening is low. I am hoping that this will push the other governments to step up and give animals a voice. Let’s make this happen no matter what government is elected. We need to stand up for these animals who are forced into horrific situations that we would never put ourselves in.

The Australian view of animal cruelty is one large contradiction:

I find it quite contradictingthat animal abuse is punishable as a crime in Australia, but we are still allowing animal testing for cosmetic purposes.

According the RSPCA, these are the penalties for animal cruelty in Australia:

NSW

5 years*

$22,000 for natural person

$110,000 for corporation

Crimes Act 1900,

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979

The positive outcome of this discussion:

The fact that abolishing animal testing is being discussed is a small step towards a more ethical approach to the cosmetic industryin Australia, howeverit is still a bit of a controversial subject.

Why is this only a small step?

Even though animal testing may disappear from Australia, please remember that these companies may still sell to countries that require testing or allow testing (for example China).

What do you think about this new topic of discussion circling the internet? Let me know in the comments below!

Unfortunately, a lot of brands sold at Sephora (AU) are NOT cruelty free. There are many different definitions of ‘cruelty free’, however my definition of cruelty free is:

“A brand that does not test on animals, is not owned by another company who tests on animals and does not sell to countries who require animal testing by law (China and others).” – Cruelty Free Love

All information listed has been researched, however may have changed from the time this information was uploaded. Please always double check the brands as there are always constant changes. I will try my best to continually update this list to make sure all information is relevant and up to date. Click on the brand name and it will take you straight to the page on the Sephora website.

Sigma Beauty – They say, although some brush fibres are made from animal hair, no animals are harmed in making the product. I am not entirely sure whether I believe this or not. I have questions like, how are the animals cared for? are they kept in cages or are the allowed to roam free etc.

These brands are based off the Sephora AU website. There are many brands on the site that are ‘cruelty free’but are now owned by a company that does test on animals. These brand include, but are not exclusive to, Smashbox, Urban Decay, Tarte etc.

I emailed Sephora customer service, just as I did Mecca, to see if they could assist with my research. They sent back a picture of cruelty free brands that they had, what looked like to be, obtained from someone else’s blog. It contained brands that Sephora didn’t stock which was a tell tale giveaway. The picture also had a lot of pinterest qualities which made me second guess the reliability of the information. It is a shame that Sephora could not take the time to accumulate the cruelty free brands they stock to keep customers like me and you informed with the right information.

If you know of any brands on the website that do not test on animals that I have missed please let me know in the comments below. If I have mistakenly added a brand that does test on animals, please also let me know so I can delete it. I checked all the individual brands websites and FAQ’s to ensure the reliability of the information.

Colourpop, another one of those brands that is all over YouTube. Beauty Guru’s telling you that ‘they are amazing’ and ‘it is definitely worth the money’…. I have to say that I AGREE! I have tried numerous Colourpop products, and I have to say, I LOVE them all.

Colourpop is ‘100% fur baby friendly, bunny approved, and only test our products on humans’ which makes me happy beyond belief! I also notice that some of their products are also:

Gluten free – although they do not recommend eating them 😛

The state product last for 3 years if not opened and 1 year once opened

A lot, not all, of their products are vegan

The product that I am going to review today is their highlighter in the colour ‘Wisp’. This colour is beautiful. The Colourpop website describes it as:

Smooth. There are no evident chunks of glitter which allows for a ‘wet’ highlight look that doesn’t make you look sweaty and greasy.

Lasting power

I haven’t noticed it fade throughout the day. It seems to stay put quite well. I do set it with a teeny bit of highlight powder to ensure the longevity of the highlight.

How do I apply it?

I use my finger tips. I find that I waste less product that way and the finished product is more intense then if you were to use a brush. I have also applied it with the elf small stipple brush (synthetic bristles) which also allows for a good application.

Customer service

My highlighter came broken. I contacted the companies customer service who were extremely helpful. They sent a new one to me free of charge which I thought was lovely of them.

Would I repurchase?

Yes, definitely. The product is worth a repurchase for sure. The only thing I don’t like are the shipping fees. Sure, colourpop provide high quality, cruelty free products at an affordable price. However, when the shipping price is so high, it almost makes me think that it isn’t worth it. The shipping price goes by weight which irks me*. If I am going to buy products from the states, I want to be able to buy a good quantity to make it worth it, however, the more you buy, the higher the shipping price goes.

Where can I purchase it?

The only place that I know you can purchase it from is the Colourpop website.

I used to hear about these lip creams all the time through watching YouTube and always wanted to give them a go. They had great reviews, and of course they are cruelty free… so I thought I would give them a go!

Ibiza: Described on website as ‘matte deep rose pink’– personally I feel like this colour comes of more coral then pink.

*Images from the NYX website – from left to right; Istanbul, Prague & Ibiza

Left to right – Ibiza, Prague & Istanbul

Istanbul

Prague

Ibiza

Swatches with no lip liner.

Texture:The Matte Lip Creams have a mouse like texture that is light and fluffy. They are a matte texture, v the title state, and are quite comfortable to wear.

Lasting Power: I apply this at 6:30am and it is still on my lips at 2pm. The comfortability of the lip cream wears off as time goes on, but I feel as though that is expected of a matte lip product. Although I say the comfortability wears off, it is definitely very comfortable for the first 4-5 hours of wear.

Pigmentation:SUPER pigmented. I only need one layer of the product in relation to pigmentation purposes. The colours I have tried go on smooth and even.

Scent: It is very sweet, quite enjoyable… I dig it!

I would recommend this product!

Rating – 8/10

*PLEASE NOTE – I have just found out that NYX was bought out by Loreal. Therefore, the brand NYX is registered as cruelty free HOWEVER Loreal still sells to China.